Aim: What role did the USA play in winning the war in Europe?

When the U.S. entered WW2 in late 1941, victory seemed remote Japan dominated the western half of the Pacific Ocean Germany controlled almost all of Europe Germany pressed into Russia Axis armies controlled Northern Africa & threatened the Suez Canal But…over the next 2 years, the U.S. & the Allies began to win the wars in Europe & the Pacific

Tehran Conference, 1943 By agreeing to “Operation Overlord” (D-Day), the Allies would divide the Axis military across two fronts In 1943, FDR, Churchill, Stalin met in Tehran, Iran for the first of three wartime conferences: The USA, Britain, USSR coordinated their war strategy FDR & Churchill finally committed to Stalin’s demands to open a western front (D-Day) THE PLAN of D-DAY? liberate France! organized by General Dwight D. Eisenhower Stalin agreed to declare war on Japan after the defeat of Germany Broader international cooperation also became a central theme of the negotiations at Tehran. Roosevelt and Stalin privately discussed the composition of the United Nations. During the Moscow Conference of the Foreign Ministers in October and November of 1943, the United States, Britain, China, and the Soviet Union had signed a four-power declaration whose fourth point called for the creation of a "general international organization" designed to promote "international peace and security." At Tehran, Roosevelt outlined for Stalin his vision of the proposed organization in which the future United Nations would be dominated by "four policemen" (the United States, Britain, China, and Soviet Union) who "would have the power to deal immediately with any threat to the peace and any sudden emergency which requires action."

D-Day June 6th, 1944

Why was it called D-Day? According to the U.S. military, “D-Day” was an Army designation used to indicate the start date for specific field operations. In this case, the “D” in D-Day doesn’t actually stand for anything—it’s merely an alliterative placeholder used to designate a particular day on the calendar.

Who was involved in D-Day? United States VS. Britain Germany Canada

Invade the coast to open the Western Front Will become the largest land-sea-air operation in history Invade the coast to open the Western Front

The long-awaited 2nd front came on June 6, 1944 with D-Day Europe 1944-1945 U.S. & British troops landed at 5 strategic points, pushed through France drove towards Germany The long-awaited 2nd front came on June 6, 1944 with D-Day

When it was finally over...

Western Front August 23, 1944 – France liberated! Dec. 1944 – Battle of the Bulge = Turning Point! Germans begin to retreat.

War in Europe Ends Soviets and Americans move toward Berlin Concentration Camps liberated and atrocities uncovered April 25th 1945 - Soviets storm Berlin April 29th - Hitler commits suicide V.E. Day = May 8, 1945 Surrender by Germany